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Biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases. Biodiesel is safe and biodegradable, and its use significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and serious toxic air pollutants. Biodiesel can be used as a fuel in diesel engines at a variety of blends with regular diesel.  Courtesy of www.mulchblog.com What is Biodiesel? Biodiesel is a liquid fuel made up of fatty acid alkyl esters, fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), or long-chain mono alkyl esters. It is produced from renewable sources such as new and used vegetable oils and animal fats and is a cleaner-burning replacement for petroleum-based diesel fuel. It is nontoxic and biodegradable. Biodiesel has physical properties similar to those of petroleum diesel. Like petroleum diesel, biodiesel is used to fuel compression-ignition (diesel) engines. Low-level blends of biodiesel with petroleum diesel also provide benefits. Biodiesel can be legally blended with petroleum diesel in any percentage. The percentages are designated as B20 for a blend containing 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel, B100 for 100% biodiesel, and so forth. B100 and blends of B20 or higher qualify for alternative fuel credits under the Energy Policy Act of 1992. ASTM International (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials) produces technical standards that ensure a certain level of quality and standardization for materials, products, systems, and services. The SLCFP recommends that fleets only use fuel that meets applicable ASTM standards. For biodiesel, the following standards apply: B100 Biodiesel Blend Stock (pure biodiesel): ASTM D6751 Up to 5% biodiesel (B5) in the conventional petrodiesel specification: ASTM D975 Blends between B6 and B20: ASTM passed a standard, but has not yet published it. The published standard should be out by the end of 2008.
Benefits of Biodiesel: Biodiesel is a domestically produced, clean-burning, renewable substitute for petroleum diesel. Using biodiesel as a vehicle fuel increases energy security, improves public health and the environment, and provides safety benefits since biodiesel is more stable than regular diesel.  Courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy Incentives: Certain property and equipment used to manufacture, produce, or extract unblended biodiesel, as well as unblended biodiesel used as fuel by a registered manufacturer, are exempt from state sales and use taxes. Unblended biodiesel is defined as B100 which meets the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard D6751. These provisions are effective through June 30, 2012. (Reference Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:301) For more information, visit our Incentives page. Additional Information: For a concise Clean Cities document that describes the performance and availability of biodiesel blends, as well as the long-term effects of using B20 in standard diesel-powered vehicles visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/ fuels/biodiesel_publications.html. For further reading on B20 & B100, Benefits, Production, and Distribution of Biodiesel visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/biodiesel.html. For further reading on Biodiesel Vehicles visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/diesel.html. Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicles Data Center (http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/)
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